Box just announced a huge partnership deal with IBM

Box has been focused on going beyond its core file storage
business over the past few years, providing more workflow and
industry-focused services.

And on Tuesday, it announced a huge partnership with IBM that
will help it go further into the enterprise.

IBM is going to let Box plug into its analytics and security
technology, while Box will integrate its content management
system into Big Blue’s existing products.

For example, they will work on a new data analytics solution that
uses IBM’s Watson supercomputer. Box’s technology will also be
integrated into IBM Verse and IBM Connection, its business email
and collaboration services.

They will also jointly develop mobile apps and analytics
solutions. Box said some of that could even be included in the
products IBM and Apple are building together. On top of that, IBM
will use its massive salesforce and consulting team to sell it to
its network of business customers.

Considering IBM deals with some of the biggest businesses in the
world, it’s a huge deal for Box, which went public earlier this
year.

“The strength we bring to the table is really simple, content
management experiences. What IBM brings to the table is a wider
array of workflow and analytics technology to help facilitate
that,” Box CEO Aaron Levie told Business Insider.

Some use cases Levie mentioned include doctors getting real-time,
personalized analytics on medical records to come up with a
better diagnosis. Or banks moving away from paper-based processes
and targeting customers with better mortgage products.

Max Morse/Getty Images

But more than anything, Levie said it’s a big deal because it
shows big companies like IBM are willing to partner with smaller
players like Box to build a completely new solution.

“You’re going to start seeing best-in-class technology providers
really link up to provide new solutions and capabilities for
customers,” Levie said. “Certainly, it’s the biggest partnership
we’ve done in terms of how comprehensive it is across the product
portfolio of IBM,” Levie added.